By: Shayna Cohen With approximately two out of every three high school graduates enrolled in university or college, higher education is an expectation for adults in the United States. By working hard in college, people hope to increase their social standing, job prospects, and earning potential. However, affording the high price tag of these aspirations … Continue reading Financing America’s Colleges: The Reality of Pell Grants
Infrastructure critical to urban redevelopment
By Donald Sizemore College Town currently serves as the epicenter of Florida State University’s social life in Tallahassee. Yet, this vibrant mixed-use commercial and residential area--skirting the southern border of FSU, three blocks from Florida A&M University, and just a quarter mile from FSU’s football stadium--did not exist in 2010. Instead, the area was a … Continue reading Infrastructure critical to urban redevelopment
Crony Capitalism and the Rising Price of the EpiPen
By William Reynolds Monopolies are often the by-product of market failures that are induced through crony capitalist policies. Crony capitalist policies are pieces of legislation enacted to benefit politicians and private companies at the cost of the consumers. The ramifications of these policies on competitive markets can be far-reaching, and in certain instances have larger … Continue reading Crony Capitalism and the Rising Price of the EpiPen
Raising the Gas Tax Will Not Help Finance Public Infrastructure
By Giovanna da Silva As a part of his plan to revamp US public infrastructure, President Donald Trump recently suggested increasing the gasoline tax to 25 cents a gallon from the current rate of 18.4 cents per gallon to help fund his $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan. This isn’t a new idea, however, as proposals for … Continue reading Raising the Gas Tax Will Not Help Finance Public Infrastructure
Is the Gas Tax a Sustainable Revenue Source for Roads?
By Giovanna da Silva Millions of Americans depend on roads in their everyday lives. US roads handle 8 billion miles of traffic per day. For most of America’s contemporary history, federal, state, and local governments have maintained and funded roads. Currently, there are 4 million miles of public road in the country. Gas taxes and … Continue reading Is the Gas Tax a Sustainable Revenue Source for Roads?
Private Sector Can Shoulder Some of the Risk for New Road Construction
By Giovanna da Silva The 21st century has seen a substantial increase in public-private partnerships in the United States and around the world. The basic principle behind public-private partnerships, or P3s, is that government works with the private sector in order to build and finance public works projects. P3s have been increasingly encouraged by state … Continue reading Private Sector Can Shoulder Some of the Risk for New Road Construction
Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs Face Regulatory Hurdles
By Kristen Carpenter and Giovanna da Silva Entrepreneurship often serves as a means to achieve social change. In the Middle East, social enterprises such as Glowork foster advancement by providing the disenfranchised with empowerment and professional development opportunities. Many entrepreneurs and employment seekers in the area, however, face regulatory hurdles to starting their own business. … Continue reading Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs Face Regulatory Hurdles
Regulations Hinder Growth of Florida’s Solar Energy Sector
By Sam Stadtlander and Giovanna da Silva In 1883, Charles Fritts created the first solar cell and established the path towards developing renewable solar energy. Since then, the 20th and 21st centuries have seen increased demand for technological innovation in the solar sector as an alternative to natural gas and other conventional energy sources. Due to … Continue reading Regulations Hinder Growth of Florida’s Solar Energy Sector
Challenges to Privatizing Flood Insurance
Giovanna Dasilva The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), implemented in 1968 to address a market failure in the flood insurance sector, has been the subject of scrutiny following hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Increasing the scope of the private sector has often been cited as a potential solution to the NFIP’s pitfalls. However, there are challenges … Continue reading Challenges to Privatizing Flood Insurance
After this Hurricane Season, We Need to Rethink Flood Insurance
Giovanna Dasilva With the national spotlight on flooding caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has come under scrutiny. The federal program primarily focuses on offering flood insurance coverage and reducing the impact of flood damage. The NFIP was established in 1968 to counteract a market failure on the … Continue reading After this Hurricane Season, We Need to Rethink Flood Insurance
Government Consolidation Rarely Lives Up to Promises
By Matt Kelly Government consolidation is an often-touted solution to economic and social problems in American cities. Several initiatives to combine local governments have resulted in conjoined regional governments, including Indianapolis-Marion County (IN), Athens-Clarke County (GA), and Jacksonville-Duval County (FL). Tallahassee and Leon County have seen six campaigns for consolidation over 50 years, all of … Continue reading Government Consolidation Rarely Lives Up to Promises
Property Tax Appeal Process Benefits Wealthy, Non-minority Homeowners
Property taxes in Florida are based on annual assessments of property values made by county officials. Homeowners in Florida can challenge assessments that they believe overvalue their property and inflate their tax bill. Informally, the homeowner may meet with the assessor to negotiate for a reduced assessment. The homeowner may also petition for a formal … Continue reading Property Tax Appeal Process Benefits Wealthy, Non-minority Homeowners
Study Explores Local Government Response to Recessions
Recessions can be trying times for city and county governments. They typically experience a fall in revenue from two primary sources: 1) a shrinking property tax base because of falling property values and 2) lower intergovernmental transfers—grants and other payments received from the state and federal governments—because of cutbacks made at these higher levels of … Continue reading Study Explores Local Government Response to Recessions
Defunding Florida’s Film Industry Incentives was Example of Evidence-Based Policy
By Marisa Lupica and Matt Kelly States have been competing fiercely for movie productions with tax incentives since the early 2000s. Such incentives include cash grants, income tax credits, sales tax rebates, or payroll tax credits. Today, 37 states offer tax incentives for film productions. However, recent economic research shows that film tax incentives fail … Continue reading Defunding Florida’s Film Industry Incentives was Example of Evidence-Based Policy
New Policy Brief Critical of Florida’s Economic Development System
By Matt Kelly A new DeVoe L. Moore Center policy brief criticizes Florida's economic development system. Targeted industry incentives have played a prominent role in the economic development strategies of state governments for decades. In the late 1970s and 1980s, enterprise zones and tax incentives were seen as an appealing “market-oriented” alternative to New Deal … Continue reading New Policy Brief Critical of Florida’s Economic Development System
New Study Explores Crony Capitalism in Florida
A new study published by The James Madison Institute by DeVoe L. Moore Center Policy Analyst Matthew Kelly and Center Director Samuel Staley explores two examples of crony capitalism in Florida's government policy: sports stadium subsidies and film tax incentives. The authors urge Floridians to remain vigilant over the spending of their tax dollars by government … Continue reading New Study Explores Crony Capitalism in Florida
Local Government Revenue Indicates Sluggish Recovery for Florida’s Businesses
By Benjamin Petersen and Matthew Laird Revenue collected by Florida’s local governments has grown dramatically in the last few decades, raising the importance that Floridians have an accurate understanding of how our governments raise and spend taxdollars. Revenue collected by local governments from permits, fees, and licenses is of particular importance for Florida’s business and … Continue reading Local Government Revenue Indicates Sluggish Recovery for Florida’s Businesses
Despite Problems, Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund is Best Performing Incentive
By Marisa Lupica The Qualified Target Industry (QTI) tax refund is offered to attract high wage jobs in target industries to Florida. The program is administered by the Department of Economic Opportunity, Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI), and the Department of Revenue. Among Florida’s tax incentive programs, QTI is the largest and has the highest return … Continue reading Despite Problems, Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund is Best Performing Incentive
Tourism Vital to Florida’s Economy
By Erick Winterkamp Florida is known around the world for its white sandy beaches, diverse wildlife and theme parks. These environmental and manmade attractions make it a hotspot for domestic and international tourism. State and local taxes and spending have impacted the tourism industry, but Florida would likely be a tourism destination with or without … Continue reading Tourism Vital to Florida’s Economy
Tax Increment Financing Has Unclear Effects
By Casey Barr Originally used in California in 1952, TIF is the most widely utilized type of economic development program in the nation, with 49 states and the District of Columbia currently authorize its use. Arizona is the only state that does not allow its use. In 2012, California limited the use of TIF after evidence … Continue reading Tax Increment Financing Has Unclear Effects
Targeted Industry Tax Incentives in Florida
By Marisa Lupica Tax incentives are a significant but ineffective part of states’ economic development policy. As of 2012 states spent an estimated $80.4 billion annually on tax incentives for businesses. Yet, most economic research on the subject finds that targeted tax incentives are ineffective at attracting businesses, creating jobs, or improving a state’s economic … Continue reading Targeted Industry Tax Incentives in Florida
The Per Business Regulatory Burden: Ranking Florida’s Local Governments
By Matt Kelly and Tyler Worthington The dramatic increase in federal government regulation has been well documented by economists and journalists, as has its detrimental effects on economic growth. The DeVoe Moore Center has constructed assorted measures of state and local regulatory restrictiveness. This article focused on revenues collected per business on the local level … Continue reading The Per Business Regulatory Burden: Ranking Florida’s Local Governments
Community Redevelopment Agencies
By Casey Barr Local governments face the perennial dilemma of obtaining money to fund community redevelopment projects. Requesting state or federal funds can be an arduous bureaucratic process, and these funds are often awarded to larger, more prominent cities, ignoring smaller towns where need is arguably greater. Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) allow local governments to … Continue reading Community Redevelopment Agencies
Special District Spending Priorities and Political Entrepreneurship
By Matt Kelly and Tyler Worthington Special districts are small local governments created by state statute or local ordinance to fulfill a particular purpose in a specified geographic area. Some special districts control the mosquito population in an area, while others are in charge of things like fire protection, library administration, or utility services. Unlike … Continue reading Special District Spending Priorities and Political Entrepreneurship
Special Districts in Florida
By: Matt Kelly and Tyler Worthington Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Tip O’Neil once said, “all politics is local,” meaning that politicians must appeal to local constituents to succeed. Yet political economy is arguably most opaque and complex at local levels. Local governments have grown as numerous as they are multifaceted. Over … Continue reading Special Districts in Florida
Tourism tax may soon be used for public services
By Erick Winterkamp Officials in Okaloosa County recently diverted $2.5 million of Tourism Development Tax (TDT) revenues to pay for beach patrol and lifeguards, a move that Florida’s powerful tourism lobby contested. Tourism industry interest groups like the Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association claimed this was … Continue reading Tourism tax may soon be used for public services
Top 2% of state employees see faster rise in income than bottom 98% since the Great Recession
By: Igor Lukashevich In 2014, the world was abuzz with talk of Thomas Piketty’s treatise on global economic inequality, Capital in the Twenty-First Century. The rising global disparity of income, the author argued, will inevitably result in social and economic instability across the world. It is interesting to note that income inequality also exists, and … Continue reading Top 2% of state employees see faster rise in income than bottom 98% since the Great Recession
Health Care and Education Departments Spend the Most of Florida’s State Budget
By: Nick Hyder and Tian Ma With 2015 behind us, it’s worthwhile to take stock of last year’s spending by state government. A state’s spending says a lot about its priorities, and accountability to taxpayers is an important component of a democracy. The Agency for Health Care Administration tops the list of spending by state … Continue reading Health Care and Education Departments Spend the Most of Florida’s State Budget
The Top 10 Highest Earning Counties in Florida
By: Igor Lukashevich and Nadia James The top six Florida counties for revenue intake per capita are as follows: Duval, Monroe, Miami-Dade, Franklin, Charlotte, and Collier. Total revenues for counties follow very closely with total expenditures, as the same six counties also topped the list for expenditures per capita. This relationship makes sense because the … Continue reading The Top 10 Highest Earning Counties in Florida
Duval county tops spending per person, followed by some of Florida’s smallest counties
By: Nick Hyder, Tian Ma, Igor Lukashevich, and Nadia James Out of the 67 counties in the state of Florida, Duval County spends the most per capita. Duval County is home to Florida’s most populous city, Jacksonville, which has a population over twice as large as Miami, Florida’s second most populous city. In 2014, Duval … Continue reading Duval county tops spending per person, followed by some of Florida’s smallest counties
Florida’s Tourism Development Tax
By Erick Winterkamp Policymakers experience conflicting pressure concerning taxation. Corporations want taxation on competing products and industries, government officials often need more taxation to cover rising expenses, and the public would rather taxes be levied on anyone but themselves. Balancing these opposing factors, along with elected officials’ desire for reelection, results in a myriad … Continue reading Florida’s Tourism Development Tax
Property-tax hike in Tallahassee reveals broken budget process
Proposed tax increase in Tallahassee shows broken budget process. Zero-based budgeting would help.
Is Florida All Aboard for Intercity Railroads?
By Matt Kelly A battle over railroads is underway in the Sunshine State. Activists in Florida have stridently protested All Aboard Florida (AAF), which will launch the United State’s first privately funded and operated intercity rail service in over 50 years. AAF’s opponents strongly doubts the enterprise’s financial viability. Generally, rail services across the country … Continue reading Is Florida All Aboard for Intercity Railroads?
Florida’s Pensions Could Be Reformed Locally
By Matt Kelly On January 27th, the managers of 19 Florida pension funds received a “call to action” letter from the Florida Department of Management Services informing them that reforms are needed to address their unfunded liabilities. A previous blog pointed out that while Florida’s state’s employee pension fund is 86% funded (better provisioned than … Continue reading Florida’s Pensions Could Be Reformed Locally
Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment
By Logan Shewmaker U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) is pushing to expand into Florida. Between 2008 and 2013, the average MLS franchise’s market capitaliztion grew 175 percent. The average attendance for MLS games exceeds 18,000, higher than the NBA. “The beautiful game” is growing in the United States, but does MLS growth justify public subsidies? … Continue reading Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment
The Foundations of Political Capitalism
By Matt Kelly Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century raised quite a stir last year among economists. Piketty identifies rising wealth inequality as inherent in capitalism, and recommends a worldwide wealth tax to temper its effects. Many have taken issue with Piketty’s data and analysis, and the idea that inequality is rising at all … Continue reading The Foundations of Political Capitalism
Sports Stadiums Not Worth Public Subsidies
By Logan Shewmaker Next time you attend a ballgame, consider for a moment the monumental effort necessary to build a sports stadium. Surely, stadiums are among the most impressive structures ever built. Tourists continue to marvel at the architectural wonder of Rome’s Coliseum. But does that justify public subsidies? Three-fourths of stadiums in the U.S. … Continue reading Sports Stadiums Not Worth Public Subsidies
New Study Sheds Light on Property Taxes in Florida
By Matt Kelly A new study by DeVoe Moore Eminent Scholar Keith Ihlanfeldt and economist Kevin Willardsen explores property taxes in Florida. The authors challenge the conventional wisdom that governments only consider the “public interest” when writing their budgets and setting tax rates. With property taxes accounting for 31% of Florida’s total revenues, understanding how … Continue reading New Study Sheds Light on Property Taxes in Florida
Taxes, Inequality, and Business Climate
Original post date: September 19, 2014 Article by: Dan Davy Today, states are left with a difficult choice between maintaining revenue growth and providing a competitive business climate. Taxes that promote the most competitive business climates tend to be less progressive and have lower growth rates. Standard and Poor’s (S&P) released a new report finding that states … Continue reading Taxes, Inequality, and Business Climate
Some Miscellaneous Links to Kick Off the Week
Post date: June 04, 2013 Article by: Anonymous 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. ● Rick Scott and tuition hikes. ● Should Florida spend more on education? ● In case you missed it, Florida TaxWatch released its annual Turkey report. ● Peace and harmony in the Supreme Court. ● … Continue reading Some Miscellaneous Links to Kick Off the Week
Controversy Over Pension Liabilities May Leave Taxpayers in the Hole
Post date: November 13, 2012 Article by: Anonymous 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. A recent report published by the Leroy Collins Institute at Florida State University regarding Florida’s increasingly unfunded public pension plans received some controversial feedback, largely in response to the accounting methods used. Critiques of the … Continue reading Controversy Over Pension Liabilities May Leave Taxpayers in the Hole
Municipal Pension Forcing Florida Over a Fiscal Cliff
Original post date: October 05, 2012 Article by: Anonymous 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer compatible have been fixed. Florida public pension programs have become a cause for concern in recent years, and the debate just ramped up with the publication of a new report by Florida State University’s Leroy Collins Institute. Florida … Continue reading Municipal Pension Forcing Florida Over a Fiscal Cliff